


Pies, Monsters and an Angel of the Lord

by Arvi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, But mostly fluff, Episode Fix-It: s15e20 Carry On, First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, The Empty (Supernatural), because canon is stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27740650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arvi/pseuds/Arvi
Summary: Dean is just trying to cope with losing the love of his life, doing his best to pretend he's fine, when a seemingly normal monster hunt turns out to have cosmic involvement.Because the finale was not my cup of tea: No one dies, certain angels come back to life (on screen) and Dean gets to show that he is a good dancer.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 28
Kudos: 228





	Pies, Monsters and an Angel of the Lord

**Author's Note:**

> A massive thank you to saminzat for the beta! All remaining errors are my own.
> 
> Also I first started writing this just before the finale aired, using what we knew to make up my ideal version of the plot. You might be able to tell at which point it went from hopeful expectations to fuck it I'm cramming all of the fluff in there.

**Pies, Monsters and an Angel of the Lord**

Dean was driving his baby, Sam in the seat next to him, like it had been all those years. He knew Sam wanted to see Eileen again, but his shaggy, goodhearted brother didn't dare leave him alone just yet – not after how self-destructive Dean had gotten the last few times Cas had been gone.

And wasn't that fucked up? The mere fact that their best friend, Dean's - well, Dean's best friend too, first and foremost, though there was something else there too - had died multiple times. That they'd all died often enough to go through all the options there were.

But well, this time it was different. This time Cas had very consciously chosen to give his life to save Dean's. This time Cas had said goodbye, had confessed his love. This time they were out of "get-out-of-jail-free"-cards. They were also rid of the dude who had made all of them necessary in the first place, at least.

Jack would be hands-off. No controlling anyone, no resurrecting anyone. Not even his dad. It was probably better that way, but boy did it hurt.

Because it did hurt, it hurt like hell. Losing Cas always did. It wouldn't stop anytime soon either, but that didn't mean he was about to do something stupid. There was no sign that they could get Cas back, especially not without getting back into really stupid deals that only ever made things worse. He wasn't going to go there, not anymore. He was going to be the man Cas had seen in him. The caring, selfless man, the lover, not the fighter. The lover without the love of his life, but full of love nevertheless. He'd eat pie and burgers, but also veggies. He'd spoil any little ones Sam and Eileen might have rotten, be their favorite Uncle Dean. He'd go on the occasional hunt, but mostly retire. Give advice and resources to all the other hunters. Maybe rebuild the roadhouse, have his own bar. It had always been one of his dreams.

But first of all, on to a dream much closer in the future. There was a pie festival they were driving to right now. And well, fake it till you make it. One day, he'd be genuinely happy again, or at least content. For now, he'd have pie.

As he left the Impala, he noticed, again, that Cas wasn't stepping out right behind him. Cas would've loved this place. Or maybe he would've loved how much Dean was enjoying himself. Either way, he'd be smiling that smile that lit up his entire face.

“You crying man?”

Fuck, he was. He missed Cas.

“What? No!”

He wiped the tear from his face. He was going to enjoy today. It was a frigging pie festival, what could possibly be better? He wasn't going to go there. Not thinking of whom he'd like to be here with.

He was getting his pies, one of each, and then Sammy and Dean would eat them all, and tonight their stomachs would hurt but they wouldn't care because this was all Dean had dreamed of as a kid. It was going to make him happy. He’d fill that void inside him that hadn’t left since Cas’ goodbye with pie, or at least do his best. 

There were apple pies, blueberry, banana cream, lemon meringue, even an out-of-season pumpkin pie! It smelled delicious and they looked brilliant and Dean was getting one of each in a big box to help him carry them.

He went back to the bench where Sam was sitting.

“Hey!” They had pie. They still had each other. Sam had Eileen. They were going to be happy again.

Sam didn't seem particularly happy. Time to play the big brother. Sam had Eileen. It was going to be a good life for him. Everything he had ever dreamed of.

“What? What's wrong?”, he asked. Sam had to have a shot at happiness, at least more so than Dean. The love of his life was still there at least. Well, Dean wasn’t going to let Sam figure out that part.

“Nothing. I'm fine.”

“Nah, come on. I know that face. That's uh – That's 'Sad Sam' face.”

Dean had literally raised his little brother. He knew that face. Had seen it when they moved again just after Sam had made some friends in his new school. When there wasn't any good food. When Dad left them again. When Sam lost Jess, when he lost Amelia, when he lost Eileen.

“I'm not 'Sad Sam'!”

Yeah, right. Dean wouldn't believe that for one second. He knew his baby brother. And Sam knew Dean knew.

“I'm just – I'm thinking about Cas, you know? Jack. If they could be here.”

“Yeah...” As if Dean ever stopped thinking about them. The love of his life who had given his life for Dean's, their son, who had become God. This was about helping Sam though. “Yeah, I know. I think about them too. You know that pain's not gonna go away, right? But if we don't keep living, then all that sacrifice is gonna be for nothing. So quit being freaking Eeyore, huh? Come on. Get into this!”

Well, if he could convince himself that would be very nice. He was going to get there though. One day. For Cas.

“Yeah, you're right,” Sam finally admitted.

And then there was a pie in his face. Sam's laughter ringing out for the first time in what felt like forever.

“I have wanted to do that for a very long time,” Sam grinned. “You're right. I do feel better!”

Well, see here. Success. At least for Sammy. Now on to eating pie.

The pie was delicious. All of them were. Dean got another particularly tasty apple pie to take home to – to eat with Sam. After some healthy burgers. With a salad. He was going to live a good, long life. Like he would've wanted with... Like everyone would've wanted for him.

They were still living in the bunker, at least for now. It had a lot of resources, and it had been home for a while, but it felt empty without Jack, without Cas, without the apocalypse world hunters. Someday they'd probably leave, but Dean didn't know where he wanted to go just yet. Sam hadn't said anything either.

It was Jody who called to tell them that there was a case of murders throughout Kansas that sounded like their kind of job. Burnt out eyes, the work of angels in all likelihood. Well, at least that’s what he would have assumed a few years ago, when the apocalypse and later the heavenly civil war were going strong. He didn’t have any better ideas though, and neither did Sam, so angels were what they’d prepare for.

Fucking dicks.

It had seemed like they'd finally been rid of rogue angels, not enough left to cause trouble, but now they were popping up again. Seems like Jack was a little too hands off maybe? Or well, just a kid. Dean missed Jack. He hadn't admitted, maybe hadn't been able to admit, how much he'd grown to care for him.

Burnt out eyes. First time he'd ever seen them was with Pamela, when she'd attempted to see Cas' true form. He'd warned her not to, but she'd done it anyway and wound up blind. That was the non-fatal kind of burnt out eyes, of course. They'd seen plenty more in the years after. Cas would've been able to help right now.

Nearly instinctively Dean found himself praying: “Hey Cas, I miss you right now. Miss you always. Looks like there's some angels gone rogue, I wish you were around to help us.”

Maybe Cas was somehow still hearing his prayers, all those little updates Dean sent. Feeling his longing. Hadn't Cas once mentioned angels could feel longing? If that was true then it made even less sense Cas hadn't known how much Dean loved him – had loved him. Past tense. Cas was gone. No bringing anyone back from a sleeping Empty.

Outwardly, it seemed like your average hunt. It felt different, though. Not like the hunts all the way back before Chuck was actively messing with their lives, even though they were free again. He'd been happy hunting with Sam, once. Happy when it'd been just the two of them against the world. But now he knew different, he'd had more family, more friends he could count on. And he'd lost them, so now just the two of them against the world reminded him of what he'd lost.

At every turn he wanted Cas to be there with a name like Agent Beyoncé, Jack with his open grin, eager to show off what he had learned from them. Even Charlie with her quips and teasing, Eileen's competence and Benny's steady calm that he remembered from their battles in purgatory weren't here with them.

It wasn't the same once you'd had more people to trust.

Still, they had lives to save. Saving people, hunting things, the family business. Federal agents to impersonate so they could find those angelic dicks.

It took quite a bit of research to find it, but all those victims had been connected to the families of other vessels or potential vessels. They had family members who were missing people, people with their eyes burnt out. People who had popped back up years later.

Sam and Dean could have been vessels too. Maybe that’d be enough to lure those dicks in.

Time to put up a trap. Holy fire, an angel summoning in a barn. Like he'd done for Cas, all those years ago, except now they knew how to deal with angels. Not bullets and knives but holy fire and angel blades.

When a small group of four entered the barn they were wearing clown masks. Clown masks and black clothing, for whatever reason. The reason didn’t matter though. They were killing people, they had to go. Sam and Dean were the ones to attack.

The fight was chaos, as such fights tended to be. Lots of getting thrown around, dodging and grunting. They were outnumbered and their opponents were stronger than them.

But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Dean got a good hit in, and one of those sons of bitches lit up like a Christmas tree – and dissolved into black goo!

Dean stumbled back. This was the Empty.

That same void of nothingness that had taken Cas from him.

The other three goons stepped back. The black mass that had been their friend reformed into a humanoid person, but rather than a black-clothed man in a clown mask Cas stood in front of him.

No, not Cas.

The thing that had eaten Cas, wearing Cas' face.

“Cas?,” he heard Sam whisper.

“Not... quite...” There was something about the Empty that was more disturbing than anything else they'd faced. It was more inhuman than most monsters they'd faced. It had never been human and it had never even tried to understand humanity.

Sam still didn't know any details about Cas' death. Dean hadn't found the words to tell him.

“YOU MADE IT LOUD!”, the Empty shouted, “I CAN'T SLEEP!”

Dean took a deep breath. There was this thing, wearing the face of the love of his life, and he'd have to negotiate. He could do this. The Empty was still awake, and that meant there was just a sliver of a chance they could get Cas back.

“We're terribly sorry for that. We'd love to fix it for you. Were you trying to get our attention with these murders?”

“Ohhh, he's smarter than he looks... Not smart enough to know what mattered to this one before the end,” the Empty gestured down its body, “but maybe not entirely stupid either.”

Dean swallowed. This was so different from the last time he'd seen Cas' face, and part of him was considering believing this entity, believing himself stupid, useless. But Cas had loved him, and he had faith in Cas. He was going to have faith in himself now.

“Well, if it's loud, why not just kick everyone out? You can do that. They'll be back one day and they're always asleep after they die, right? Just kick out everyone who's making noise. Give us Cas back.”

A part of him rebelled at the idea of everyone they'd ganked coming back to life, but maybe without Chuck egging them on it'd be okay. If not, well, they'd dealt with it before. If it got them Cas back and prevented the Empty from messing things up on a cosmic scale it might be fine.

“Castiel... He's the reason I'm awake in the first place. Why should I let him out? I want him to suffer.”

Sam stood at his back, supporting him, ready to fight, to defend, like so often. Dean held himself upright, shoulders drawn back, trying to project a confidence he wasn’t really feeling.

“Well, it comes down to one thing. Do you want him to suffer or do you want your own peace? Revenge sucks in the end, I've learned that lesson. Just put the angels back in Heaven, the demons back in Hell and Cas back with us. We won't bother you again. Cas won't ever come back to you. Wouldn't you rather be rid of him forever than have to deal with all of us messing shit up, being chaotic?”

The Empty seemed to consider what Dean was saying. Dean tried to figure out what it was thinking, like he could so easily do with Cas, but the familiar face gave him no clues. Dean smiled, showing his teeth. He knew there was a chance to get Cas back, he’d do everything to succeed. Well, everything that didn’t result in Cas hating him at least.

It was the Winchester brothers facing off against the Empty in Castiel’s shape with three goons at its back. Perhaps two meters keeping them apart, Sam and Dean with their angel blades at the ready.

“Hmmm, fine. But your idea better work, understood?”

It was another voice that answered: “Don’t worry.” 

Jack!

He was standing there, had appeared out of nowhere, right between the two groups, glowing slightly from the inside, but solid. “I will make sure it does, or rather, Amara will. Balance. She'll take care of making you sleep again.”

And like when Chuck and Amara had dissolved into glowy clouds Jack misted shortly, only for Amara to stand next to him seconds later.

“This is still hands off, just fixing the messes I caused when I was very young.”

It all happened nearly too fast for Dean to process. Jack, their Jack, back with them, at least for now. Willing to help them with the Empty, willing to get Cas back for them. An intense sense of relief flooded Dean and he let out a breath he’d barely noticed he was holding.

“Well, Jack, we'd appreciate a little less hands off with us. The bunker is empty and there's still Cookie Crunch cereal around, you're always welcome at home. I miss our kid.”

Dean needed to say it, at least. Ask people to stay, right? It's what he'd promised Cas he would do. And damn it, he’d missed the kid. Not quite as much as Cas, obviously, but he’d missed him. Wished he’d been kinder.

Jack smiled at him, nodded.

Then Amara waved her hand and the Empty vanished back to where it came from. Cas vanished into black goo in front of his eyes, again. It looked nearly the same.

“He'll be coming back in a little bit,” Jack said.

Dean took all the strength he had not to break down again, not to start sobbing and beg for Cas to come to them, now. So he just nodded, the lump in his throat wouldn't allow anything else.

“I still need to fix Heaven, the newly revived angels need to figure things out. Time runs different up there, I'll be back in a few weeks.”

With those words Jack vanished into the ether again, but it felt less like a loss than last time.

He'd be back, eating sugary cereal in their kitchen in the small hours of the night.

And suddenly it was back to being just Sam and Dean, alone, in the barn. Sam looked like he was about to ask a question, but a glance from Dean shut him up. He wasn't going to talk about Cas, not now. He had to tell Cas first. Because if Dean started talking about Cas’ sacrifice he’d talk about his confession. And if he talked about Cas’ confession Sam would ask him what he’d answered. Cas deserved to hear that first. Others may have seen it before but Cas deserved to be the first person to hear that ‘I love you’.

“Let's head back to the bunker.”

It took another few hours to drive back home. Dean hoped Cas would wait there, but either that or he'd be back soon. Jack had promised.

Dean should try to get Sam to visit Eileen. He really wanted to have some time alone with Cas, and soon. He wanted to speak his truth, and he didn't want his little brother to hear everything. It just wasn't any of Sam's business.

Sam, however, hadn't taken any of Dean's hints that they could just drop him off at Eileen's on the way home now that Dean would be fine with Cas coming back, just saying that Cas was his best friend too.

Finally, finally they arrived. Miracle, the dog, had turned out to be a stray, so she was waiting at a doggie hotel in Lebanon for them. Taking her along on hunts wasn't a good solution, dogs weren't popular in motels and she wouldn't be taken care of if the worst had happened.

So, first pick up Miracle, then head to the bunker. Dean wasn't going to keep hunting all the time, he'd spend enough time on the road. Time to actually live his life. Maybe be a mechanic, maybe a bartender, but no longer hunting as a full-time job. Maybe save up and then rebuild the Roadhouse Ellen had once managed. Of course, his exact plans would depend on what Cas wanted too. That’s what couples did, right? Plan their lives together.

Assuming Cas actually wanted to live with Dean, romantically. It had certainly sounded like it, but well, maybe Dean had gotten it wrong. Cas was still an angel after all, maybe they just really really loved all of humanity that much if they got close enough. Maybe it was somehow platonic? Or maybe loving Dean was one thing, but living in a romantic relationship with him another.

He'd parked the Impala in the Bunker's garage, but now he was stalling. He wanted to kiss Cas, to hold him and tell him he loved him. But what if Cas didn't want that in the end? Or if he'd changed his mind since then?

Okay, he was panicking for no reason. The kind of love Cas had confessed to, that didn't just go away. Still, what if the words got stuck in his throat again?

Sam was loitering at the door to the bunker too. “You coming, jerk?”

“Coming, bitch. Shut up.”

Dean had Miracle jump out from the back seat, grabbed his duffel bag from the trunk and the three of them headed into the bunker, Sam first.

It was Sam who spotted Cas, standing in the kitchen. Sam who rushed in and hugged him first.

Dean was standing there, frozen in place, Miracle nosing at his hand. He absently petted her as he listened to Sam telling Cas thank you, explaining what had happened and wanting to know how Cas had managed to summon the Empty. Dean had never said.

Cas glanced to Dean in the background, and did his best to dodge Sam's questions by muttering something about the deal for Jack's life, but refusing to elaborate on which conditions exactly had to be met.

Dean wanted desperately to talk to Cas, but he didn't know what to say, where to start. Especially not with his idiot brother right there who absolutely didn't take any clue to piss off and leave Dean alone with Cas.

Finally he settled on something. “Hope you haven't been waiting for too long, Cas.”

It was nothing like what he wanted to say, but his feet still remained stubbornly frozen to the floor.

He could see Cas trying to figure out how to deal with Dean now. Wanted nothing more than to kiss the worried frown of that face, to make those blue eyes light up with true joy, no tears marring the feeling this time. But not in front of Sammy goddamn – Jackdamnit? - he wasn't going to kiss the love of his life for the first time with his little brother in the room. He had waited for this for nearly a decade, he wanted something slightly romantic, sue him.

“No, I only just woke back up in the dungeon. Where did you acquire a dog?”

“We found Miracle while Chuck had poofed everyone. He poofed her too, but Jack brought her back and she didn't have anyone else.”

“Ah, I see.”

Cas didn't look like he was seeing Dean’s point at all. Well, he didn't know that Dean had had nothing and no one else to cling to, that she'd been the only win he could find. No one had told him by just how thin a thread Dean had been hanging on. Because Cas didn't think Dean loved him. Because somehow Cas had not seen through Dean's prayers, the mixtape, the movie nights, the burger dates, Dean's jealousy, hadn't witnessed Dean mourning him even once. How could he know why Dean had become attached to Miracle if he didn't know how much despair Dean had felt. Didn't know that she was the only thing bringing him happiness when Cas was gone and Sam meant to move on to Eileen.

Finally, finally Dean managed to move. To walk up to Cas and pull him into a hug. To bury his face in Cas' neck and mutter about how good it was to have him back. Not to ever do anything like this ever again please, please.

The hug was distinctly longer than the appropriately manly back-slapping hug he had exchanged with Sam. Dean felt his hands gripping Cas' stupid coat and the tears starting to gather in his eyes. He wasn't going to cry right now. But Cas would have to let go first. And luckily, for now, he didn't seem inclined to.

It was Miracle who ended the hug. She wanted to meet the dude her human was suddenly paying so much attention to and did it by shoving her face between their legs.

Dean reluctantly took a step back and crouched down next to her. “Miracle, this is Cas. Cas, meet Miracle.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Miracle,” Cas actually replied, carefully letting her sniff his hand.

Miracle loved him, of course she did. Good feeling for people, that one.

Sam cleared his throat: “What do you guys say we order some pizza? I'll probably head to check on Eileen tomorrow, haven't seen her since the whole Chuck thing, we only video-called.”

Finally!

“Sounds like a plan. Go get your girl, bitch.”

“Pizza with the family first, jerk.”

Just one more night.

They ordered the pizza, cracked open a few beers and hung around the table in their war room. Like they'd done with Charlie, with their mother, with Jack. Jack would be back, at least.

Dean made sure not to drink too much. He didn't want to be hungover tomorrow. He didn't want to do anything stupid tonight like tell Cas how he'd do anything and everything to make him smile. How the sun seemed to shine even in their windowless bunker whenever Cas' eyes lit up in happiness.

When it was time to head to bed Sam went first. Dean handed Cas some of the empty cartons and napkins before grabbing the empty bottles and heading to the kitchen.

“Cas, just making sure you know: I really want you to stick around, yeah? Miracle is lovely but I'd so much rather have you here with us. Dinner and a movie tomorrow? I'll cook.”

Cas didn't seem to want to look at Dean. He was going to have that full-blown conversation, and he would, but he really wanted to do it in a nice atmosphere. Maybe they wouldn't even get to the movie, for a change Dean wouldn't mind skipping. Or maybe they would watch the movie, but watch it cuddled up on the couch.

“Sounds nice Dean, thank you.”

Hopefully Cas didn't think he was going to be let down gently. But well, what was a day? Better wait than risk getting interrupted by the moose, as had seemed to happen whenever Dean had considered risking it with Cas.

The next morning Dean got up early for a change. Sam had been up already, finishing his morning run, but Cas wasn't around yet. Luckily Sam wasn't asking a lot of questions when Dean mentioned a grocery run and he could escape without an interrogation.

He was going to make burgers. Really good ones, with all the nice ingredients. And a pie. From scratch. He had learned how to while staying with Lisa, though he hadn't really been practicing a whole lot. Burgers and pie, maybe not the standard date food, but Cas loved burgers. And with his grace fading further and further he'd started enjoying food again.

He'd put on some music in the background, wear a nice shirt, make an effort. And over the pie he'd tell Cas he loved him. Ask him to dance to whatever slow song was playing. Kiss him, if Cas let him. Tell him all about how amazing Dean thought he was. How incredibly inspiring to see an angel stick to his side. How very lucky Dean felt to have him around. How life was bleak without his angel, his sunshine.

There was a smile on Dean's lips all the way back to the bunker.

When he came back to the kitchen to put away the ingredients Cas was already there, drinking coffee.

“Morning, sunshine! Sammy still around?”

Cas grumbled the answer into his coffee, making it difficult to understand. The question answered itself when Sam entered the kitchen, wearing a jacket, his bag slung over a shoulder.

“I'll be back in a week or so, don't burn down the bunker.”

“Yeah, yeah, take all the time you want, we've got it under control. Have fun with your lady, and let's hope she doesn't notice she deserves so much better than your moose ass.”

“Jerk.” Sam seemed to glance at Cas, considered saying something, but ended up with: “Hope you can stand a week with this dumbo, Cas.”

“I'll manage, Sam, no worries. Have fun with Eileen.” A fond smile slipped across Cas' lips at that. Fond of Dean and his antiques, he hoped.

Sam left for the garage, and Dean started putting away the veggies, the meat, and everything else for the night. He'd bought some more stuff to eat the next few days too, of course, no need to go into town or order out every single day.

Just Cas and him, in the bunker, no apocalypse, no deal, no one dead or dying.

Dean was humming under his breath, didn't even notice he was doing it until Cas commented.

“You seem to be in a good mood today, Dean.”

“Well, what's there not to be happy about? I'm free, I've got my family with me, no looming threats around. And my plans for tonight involve a handsome guy, tasty food and a fun movie.”

He couldn't quite keep himself from flirting, just a little. And there seemed to be a little success, Cas blushed.

“Anyways, want to help chop some fruit for the pie filling? I got strawberries and rhubarb, they're in season at the moment.”

Cas nodded and got up to fetch a knife, a cutting board and some bowls, while Dean went to put on some Led Zeppelin. Couldn't go wrong with that one, and maybe it'd also remind Cas of the mixtape.

Dean should probably return that one, shouldn't he? He'd pilfered it from Cas' room after Cas had seemed to be permanently gone. Something to remind him by.

But for now it was just the two of them, listening to Zep, baking pie. Dean could barely remember a time he'd been happier than this.

Cas didn't seem inclined to leave, fortunately, so they wound up prepping all of the pie together, Cas mostly on cutting duty, Dean on mixing and tasting.

While the pie was in the oven they had some sandwiches for lunch. The afternoon was spent doing some laundry from their last case, then finding various other chores that were necessary around the bunker, at least without Mrs. Butters.

Still, for Dean the afternoon seemed to last forever. He had made up his mind, he'd confess at dinner, during a date, like one should, but that seemed forever away and way too soon at the same time, somehow.

Finally it was time to prepare the burgers. Dean had actually snuck away to change, now wearing a shirt he'd once been told brought out his eyes and some jeans he knew made his ass look nice.

He really hoped Cas had the slightest clue that this was supposed to be a date. But well, if the guy hadn't figured out Dean's feelings before now, who knew.

Dean had even put a candle on the table, and found a hopefully not cursed table cloth. It actually looked nice. Cas had been forced to change into some of the more human everyday clothing he'd collected over the years, as the suit and trench coat had been commandeered by Dean for laundry. Yeah maybe Cas could miracle them into perfect condition but soap was better than grace. Having his own laundry detergent rather than whatever was available at laundromats across the country always reminded Dean of home, the smell of his shirts never changing. Maybe Cas would come to appreciate the same comfort. Or maybe Dean just liked having Cas smell like him.

So Cas was standing there, wearing jeans and an old t-shirt of Dean's, and he'd never looked better. He was becoming more and more human and seemed at peace, even happy with that development. Though for now, he was mostly looking uncomfortable. Looked like Dean wouldn't be able to push the confession till after dinner.

“Dean, you know, I don't expect you to act any differently. I am happy to be your friend, your family.”

“Well, Cas, maybe I want to act differently? You didn't exactly give me the time to respond there. Let me treat you right, okay? A nice date before I ask for a kiss.”

Dean wasn't quite sure what he was thinking – that most certainly was not the romantic speech to take away Cas' breath that he'd imagined. He just wanted things to go his way for once.

“So come on, sit down, I'll bring out the burgers and a beer.”

Cas did just that, looking slightly dumbfounded. Maybe Dean had left him speechless after all.

When Dean returned, carrying two plates with burgers and fries as well as two beers, Cas was still sitting at the table, wringing his hands, looking down into his lap. Dean put down the beers first, then his own plate and finally Cas', making sure to casually let his hand run along his angel's back on the way to his seat. Finally Cas looked up, still some insecurity in his eyes. Dean allowed his hand to follow the lines of Cas' arm down to his hands, taking one into his own and pressing a brief kiss to it.

“I want this. I want you.”

There was a third part to this sentence, but not yet. At least Cas seemed a little more comfortable now, starting in on his fries. The mood relaxed, and it became more like a normal dinner between the two of them. Dean flirted a little more than usual, and Cas occasionally responded, sometimes by blushing, sometimes with a comeback that made Dean blush.

By the time they'd eaten their burgers Dean was ready. Cas had spoken his truth, now it was Dean's turn.

“Cas, you said a lot of really nice things about me, before you died. I wasn't expecting that, and I didn't have time to respond, because you were... Well, I didn't have time to respond. You said I changed you, that you cared for the whole world, because of me.” Dean laughed a little, still not quite believing it. “Well, you changed me too. You pulled me outta hell, you gave me faith, you've been right at my side for so long. You've been my best friend, for years, and I kind of assumed that as an angel you wouldn't ever love me the way I loved you. So I called you brother and hoped that'd be enough. You said what you wanted, what would make you happy, you said you knew you could never have that. Have me, I guess. Well, what I'm saying is, you were wrong. You've had me for years. I love you too.”

Dean took a breath. Cas was sitting in front of him still, his eyes full of hope, and love, and none of the tears that had been there last time he'd looked this joyful. He was smiling. Dean felt himself grinning as well. Somehow, even having gone into this knowing of Cas' feelings for him, his heart was still racing.

He got up, Cas following a heartbeat later. “When the Levee Breaks” had come on, Led Zeppelin as he had planned. Dean reached out a hand, Cas took it and allowed himself to be pulled close. They weren't really dancing, Zep wasn't exactly the classic dancing tunes, more swaying to the beat. Dean let his forehead rest against Cas', a hand sneaking around his waist. He felt Cas' arms around his neck and smiled a little wider.

He pulled back just a little, purposefully letting his glance drop down to Cas' lips. Let his tongue slip out to lick his own. Saw Cas' eyes flicker down as well, and leaned forward again. His head at a slight angle this time. Inviting Cas to close the last bit of distance, his heart pounding like it normally only did when it was life or death on a hunt.

Cas did, in fact lean forward.

Dean let his eyes fall shut, and the moment Cas' lips finally, finally met his, there were fireworks. It was soft, warm, and a little shy. Somehow still one of the best kisses Dean could remember, because it was Cas. After all these years, Cas. Kissing him. Dean, kissing Cas. He could do that now, whenever he wanted. He felt himself smiling again, breaking the kiss.

There was still some music playing in the background, but Dean wasn't paying attention anymore. It felt like his entire world had been reduced to just the man in his arms. To Cas' arms around him. One of Dean's hands came up to cradle Cas' face, a thumb stroking along a jawline. Cas leaned into his hand, like a cat almost. Soaking up the contact, enjoying being this close to each other.

Cas was the one to interrupt the silence: “Isn't there still a pie waiting in the kitchen?”

Dean laughed. Somehow pie had been just about the last thing on his mind right now. Even though he'd been the one to bring it up, Cas showed little inclination to actually go and fetch the pie, or even leave Dean's embrace. Dean didn't really want to move either, but well, getting the pie and cuddling up with Cas on a couch rather than just standing next to the table certainly had some appeal.

Still, one more kiss. A promise for all those kisses yet to come, just slightly more insistent than before.

Then Dean left Cas standing there, grabbing their empty plates to put them in the sink, very quickly rinsing them so tomorrow wouldn't get gross. After that he grabbed some plates and forks and put the pie on the counter. Cas came into the room after him, quickly placing their empty bottles with the others.

Dean hadn't turned around, instead contemplating which piece of the pie to start cutting, and therefore was caught by surprise when Cas' arms came around his waist, his chin resting on Dean's shoulder.

He turned around, carefully so he wouldn't dislodge his - lover? Not yet, but hopefully soon.

“You still in for the pie and movie?”

“Yes, Dean, I believe I am. We've got the rest of our lives to enjoy this after all, I hope.”

The smile that had barely left Dean’s face all day got a little wider.

“That we do, that we do.”

**Author's Note:**

> And then everyone lived for a long, long time and did not marry blurry spouses or forget their found family. The bunker remained useful to future generations of hunters and did not get abandoned. I'm sure they'll be happy to see the fixed Heaven in three to five business decades.


End file.
